YOU ARE SUMMONED TO ATTEND A MEETING OF NORTHAMPTON BOROUGH COUNCIL, WHICH WILL BE HELD AT THE GUILDHALL NORTHAMPTON ON MONDAY, 23 JANUARY 2017 AT 6:30 PM WHEN THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS IS PROPOSED TO BE TRANSACTED

1. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

2. MINUTES. To approve the minutes of the proceedings of the Meeting of the Council held on Monday, 23 January 2017.

3. APOLOGIES.

4. MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS.

5. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND PETITIONS

6. MEMBER AND PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

7. CABINET MEMBER PRESENTATIONS (Copy herewith)

8. OPPOSITION GROUP BUSINESS Councillor Stone to make a statement on “Northampton – Cleaner, Greener and Safer”.

9. REPORT BACK FROM THE AUDIT COMMITTEE ON THE EXTRAORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING ON THE 2ND NOVEMBER 2015

(Verbal report)

10. CHANGES TO CONSULTATION APPOINTMENTS

(Copy herewith)

11. TREASURY MANAGEMENT

(Copy herewith)

12. NOTICES OF MOTION

i) Councillor Stone to propose and Councillor Beardsworth to second:

“This Council notes our current Environmental Services contract expires in 2018.

This Council believes our re-provisioned service in 2018 should be based on three fundamental principles-

1. Effectiveness and flexibility: the ability of an excellent service to adapt to changing needs and circumstances.

2. A Highly Responsive Service: deal constructively with complaints and suggestions from the general public such as promptly responding to fly tipping and graffiti.

3. Partnership: Resident Associations, Park Groups, the University, Colleges and Parish Councils to be involved in the design of the service and to be encouraged to help manage the service according to their needs.

This Council looks forward to the work being undertaken by the respective Scrutiny Group and asks them and the Cabinet to consider this motion.”

ii) Councillor McCutcheon to propose and Councillor Ashraf to second:

This Council notes that in the Northamptonshire County Council draft budget they have put in achieving unitary status for 2019/20 to save themselves £10 million per annum.

This Council further notes that Daventry District Council has described Northamptonshire County Council’s financial position as ‘grave’ and it is at ‘substantial risk’ of becoming insolvent.

The County Council hope to solve some of their financial problems by abolishing the boroughs / district councils and taking their cash.

This Council is opposed to a County Council unitary authority.

This Council believes the best solution for the town is a Northampton unitary authority with a limited expansion of the borough boundary to incorporate all SUEs and fringe developments.

This Council will ask our MPs to support us in this ambition.

This Council resolves to pursue this ambition with as much determination as the County Council is showing for their plans”.

iii) Councillor B Markham to propose and Councillor Meredith to second: Council regrets that the 100 new council houses to be built at Dallington Grange, announced with great fanfare in March 2014, will not now be built by the original planned date. Councillors, from all parties remain committed to see these houses built as soon as practical.

Council notes that the £8.4 Million of Government grants achieved on the back of the original proposal will be lost at the end of the 2017/18 Financial Year unless the council starts work on or can bring forward alternative proposals.

Therefore, as a matter of future policy, this council commits itself to bring forward and if at all possible start work on new council homes in the coming 12 months ensuring that this money will be used to provide homes for local families”.

iv) Councillor Beardsworth to propose and Councillor B Markham to second:

“This Council remains committed to replacing the current two tier arrangements operating in Northamptonshire with Unitary Councils. Council however rejects Northamptonshire County Council's plan for a single county-wide local authority believing that it is essential that local government remains local. Making local government more remote would only decrease accountability and public engagement”.

v) Councillor King to propose and Councillor J Hill to second that:

“Northampton Borough Council and its Community forums are delighted to work in partnership with many local diverse communities. We will continue to celebrate Diwali, Carnival, Chinese New Year and also remember Holocaust Memorial, Srebrenica Memorial, Black History Month, World Aids Day, International Women’s Day, International Men’s Day and challenge gender-phobia (International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia)2.

vi) Councillor Larratt to propose and Councillor King to second:

“This Council welcomes the recent establishment of a Parish Council Forum within the Borough. The Council recognises and supports the work of Parish Councils’ and what they do to support the community within their respective areas of the Borough. This Council, therefore, resolves to work closely with the Parish Councils within the Borough, supporting them in their work for the benefit of their communities”.

13. MATTERS OF URGENCY WHICH BY REASON OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THE MAYOR IS OF THE OPINION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.

The Guildhall Northampton

D. Kennedy Chief Executive

Public Participation

1. Comments and Petitions

1.1 A member of the public (or an accredited representative of a business ratepayer of the Borough) may make a comment or present a petition on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers. A comment or presentation of a petition shall be for no more than three minutes. No notice of the nature of the comment to be made or of the petition is required except for the need to register to speak by 12 noon on the day of the meeting. (Public comments and petitions will not be taken and the Annual Council Meeting or other civic or ceremonial meetings.)

NOTES

i. Comments may be on one or more subjects but each person has no longer than three minutes to have their say.

ii. The same person may make a comment and present a petition on different subjects. In such instances that person will have three minutes to make their comment and a separate three minutes to present a petition.

2. Member and Public Questions

2.1 A member of the public (or business ratepayer of the Borough) may ask a maximum of two written questions at each meeting, each limited to a maximum of 50 words, on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers. Each question shall:

- be submitted in writing and delivered, faxed or e-mailed to Democratic Services no later than 10.00am seven calendar days before the day of the meeting; and
- include the name and address of the questioner and the name of the Cabinet member/Committee Chair to whom the question is put.

2.2 At the meeting, copies of all questions and the responses to them from the public and Members will be made available to the public and press. The Mayor may allow one supplementary question, without notice, that arises directly from the original question or response.

(Questions will not be taken at the Annual Council Meeting or at civic or ceremonial meetings or meetings called to deal with specific items of business.)

NOTES

In respect of paragraph 2.1 above, questions may be rejected on certain grounds that are set out on page 4-12 of the Council’s Constitution and which may be viewed at www.northampton.gov.uk/site/scripts/download_info.php?fileID=1919 or by seeking advice using the contact details below.

3. Motions

3.1 A member of the public may register to speak to a motion under the ‘Notices of Motion’ item on the agenda. Registration to speak must be made to Democratic Services by 12 noon on the day to the meeting. Speaking to a motion is restricted to three minutes per person.

(The ‘Notices of Motion’ item will not be taken at the Annual Council meeting or meetings called for civic or ceremonial purposes.)

4. General

A member of the public may make a comment, present a petition, ask a question or speak to a motion at the same meeting subject to the restrictions set out above.

5. Contacts

Democratic Services: e-mail democraticservices@northampton.gov.uk Tel 01604 837722

Mail Democratic Services Northampton Borough Council The Guildhall St Giles Square Northampton NN1 1DE